Newsletter for November 28, 2012
"Countdown to NANY"
1. Newsletter EditorialHello dear readers. It's been nearly five months since the last DonationCoder.com newsletter, so this is no doubt the first newsletter that many of you will have received from me. If so, welcome.
What you'll find here is a collection of some of the more interesting discussion topics that have taken place on our forum in the last few months, as well as a list of new software updates from us, and a personal invitation from me to participate in our yearly "New Apps for the New Year (N.A.N.Y.)" event, which starts now and ends on January 1st, 2013.
Let's get the boring stuff out of the way first: For those of you who are users of my software (Screenshot Captor, Launchbar Commander, Find and Run Robot, etc.) there have been some substantial updates recently, including a new beta release of Screenshot Captor with a few very big new features (and more coming over in the following months).
Now to the main point of today's newsletter, to announce and invite you to participate in the DonationCoder.com "New Apps for the New Year (N.A.N.Y.) 2013" event. This is our yearly celebration of programming, where we invite coders of all skills to help ring in the new year by releasing some new piece of free software to the public by New Year's Day. It's not a competition -- there are no winners or losers. Everyone is welcome to take part and all the participants get a DonationCoder mug commemorating the event.
NANY is one of the funnest things we do, and the last few years have produced some great new programs. If you're a programmer (hobbyist or pro), we want your participation! If you're not a coder, we still want your participation -- drop by the NANY 2013 section, and help test new releases and suggest ideas for the programmers.
Do you know a friend who might be interested? Or do you write a blog or newsletter? If so, please help us spread the word! Whether you are a long time DonationCoder member or someone who has never visited the site before, everyone is welcome. 30 days is plenty of time to come up a fun little project to work on -- a game, a utility, whatever, and share it with our readers. What can you create in 30 days?
Visit the NANY 2013 section of our forum to read more and ask questions:
https://www.donation...ndex.php?board=313.02. User-to-User: Your Input RequestedWe love nothing more than having interesting discussions on our forum -- and we love when new people participate in the discussions. In each newsletter we try to highlight a few topics that we think might interest casual readers and that are good candidates for making your first post.
3. N.A.N.Y. (New Apps for the New Year) 2013 UpdatesLast year we started NANY very early, at a slow and steady pace.. this year we're going back to our old chaotic model of a frenzied 30 day sprint.. Check out some of the early pledges and progress reports below. And if you are a programmer or know someone who is, please tell them to stop by and pledge to release a new piece of freeware by New Year's Day.
4. Mouser Software UpdatesSince the last newsletter I've updated several of my larger programs. The Screenshot Captor release is an early beta, which is half way through a giant update that will bring a bunch of new major features, and which will be out before the end of the year.
5. Other Coding Snacks and Member ProjectsThe Coding Snacks section is one of the things that people appreciate the most on the DonationCoder.com forum -- it's where anyone can post a request for a custom piece of software -- and often find the requests granted overnight by one of the coders who inhabit the forum. It's also a great place to get help learning to do a little quick coding.
6. Mini-ReviewsIn the past few years we've drifted from larger reviews to user-written mini-reviews, and we've had quite a few posted since the last newsletter.
7. Fun, Humor, and Amusements on the WebYou've made it half way through the newsletter, so let's have a break. Go make yourself a hot chocolate, and check out these fun websites and videos!
8. General Software DiscussionAlmost half the posts on the DC forum take the form of general software discussions, questions, recommendations, etc. These posts wind up in the General Software Discussion section and make it one of the most active sections of the DC forum.
9. Specific Software Discussion and Software ServicesThis section of the newsletter draws attention to some of the standout discussions about specific programs that have been started since the last newsletter. I've also put some small member software announcements here.
10. Special Windows 8 SectionSince the last newsletter we've had a bunch of threads on the Microsoft's new Windows 8 Operating System:
11. Website Discoveries, Debates, and DiscussionsWhat's new in cyberspace? What exciting new sites have been discovered by forum members? What's the current hot topic and debate? Read on to find out...
12. Developer's CornerSome people mistakenly think that the DonationCoder forum is only for coders -- which couldn't be farther from the truth! Everyone is welcome and we discuss all manner of things, the overwhelming majority have nothing to do with coding. This section highlights some discussions that might be relevant for developers or the self-employed.
13. Hardware HideoutAlthough most of our forum discussions are about software, there are always some interesting hardware and gadget threads popping up.
